The Good: Good detailing, Fun, Good playability options!
The Bad: Proportions are off, Yellowing of legs
The Basics: The Power Of The Force Collection Imperial AT-AT Walker was pretty cool when it was released, but has since been replaced by a vastly superior version of the AT-AT toy.
When I was a child, there was no toy I wanted more from the Star Wars toy line than an AT-AT. As a kid, and still as an adult, the AT-AT’s intrigued me and the imagery of the Rebels getting their forces decimated by them remains one of the impressive images I saw on screen. It took until I was in college to make my dream of owning an AT-AT toy a reality when Kenner released the Power Of The Force Imperial AT-AT Walker toy. For years, I thought the AT-AT toy was the best toy in my collection. Since, however, my wife presented me with a new Star Wars Collection AT-AT Imperial Walker toy (reviewed here!), I have been forced to see just how the Power Of The Force version of the AT-AT was far from flawless . . . and has aged with several unfortunate issues that many Kenner toys were plagued with.
The Imperial AT-AT Walkers are seen briefly in The Empire Strikes Back (reviewed here!). The Imperial forces use the four-legged All Terrain-Armored Transport to blow out the shield protecting the Rebel base and lay waste to the Rebel headquarters on Hoth. Sure, some Snowspeeders take some of the AT-ATs out, but the AT-ATs destroy much more than they are destroyed!
While the Imperial AT-AT Walkers may have only been seen briefly in The Empire Strikes Back, but they are part of an iconic sequence in cinema history and have been great for merchandising. The 1997 Kenner Electronic Imperial AT-AT Walker toy represents a wonderful, for the time, Star Wars 3.75” scale toy of the powerful vehicle! While it is not, strictly, in proportion to the 3.75” toy line, Kenner worked hard to make the toy playable and fun, without maintaining strict fidelity to the subject.
Basics
The All Terrain-Armored Transport - Imperial AT-AT Walker - is a fairly mobile assault vehicle that appeared to be a new sculpt (whereas several of the early Star Wars Power Of The Force toys just reused the molds from the original 1980s toy line)! In addition to being appropriately colored and detailed, the Imperial AT-AT Walker has some cool playable aspects. The Imperial AT-AT Walker fits in well with other Star Wars toys, though it is noticeably smaller than the new toy line’s proportional toys and the legs have begun to yellow.
Kenner's Power Of The Force Imperial AT-AT Walker is a massive destructive vehicle that stands on four legs, has a main trunk and a cockpit “head” that fits a sizable command crew. The large vehicle stands 18 1/2" tall by 4 3/4" wide by 24” long! This is a good piece that is almost in scale with the regular 3 3/4” Star Wars toy line and offers decent options as a vehicle toy.
The Imperial AT-AT Walker is cast entirely in gray plastic and it is a weathered-looking vehicle. There are no steam vent lines, exhaust stains and wear-marks on the legs. Fortunately, there is only the one sticker that needs to be applied inside the cockpit. The Imperial AT-AT Walker comes with instructions that make it clear enough where to apply the sticker, though it is pretty obvious.
The Imperial AT-AT Walker is a solid device and it is a main hull which attaches to the four legs, looking like a small, armored dog. The Imperial AT-AT Walker comes disassembled, with the head and four legs needing to be attached. They snap on easily and the pictures on the box make it pretty much idiotproof for putting them on correctly.
The Imperial AT-AT Walker is essentially a war machine. The head houses both the cannons and the pilots. The head features two swiveling turrets and two sliding, light-up chin cannons. The side guns are missile launchers and feature missiles that are simply pressed in and a discreet button is pressed, launching the missile approximately seven feet (which is pretty awesome after fifteen years!)! The chin cannons slide back and forth, just like the ones in the film did. That allows them to light up and activate a sound function of the AT-AT firing its deadly laser weapons!
Inside the cockpit, there is a pair of seats for the two figures the AT-AT comes with. The head cockpit is not in true proportion with the figures and, as a result, it only holds two figures (as opposed to four to six characters like the AT-ATs in The Empire Strikes Back or the newer Saga Legends AT-AT.
The neck of the Imperial AT-AT Walker is solid, but jointed. Inside the neck are solid controls that connect to a handle on the top of the main hull. This increases the range of motion for the head and is a great selling point for the AT-AT as far as realism goes!
The main hull of the Imperial AT-AT Walker is appropriately blockish. This incarnation is a one-level playset style vehicle that opens via a single side door into the hull. Inside is a console that features a button at the bottom that illuminates a console with one of two images – Darth Vader or the Rebel Shield Generator. When the button on the bottom of the console is pressed, a light and sound effect is activated!
Accessories
The Imperial AT-AT Walker comes with two action figures, the AT-AT Driver and the AT-AT Commander. The figure was detailed to standards of the time. They actually have the articulation needed to allow them to fit into the cockpit, making them invaluable to your Empire! Fans are likely to be slightly disappointed that the vehicle does not come with two AT-AT Drivers, but Kenner rectified that oversight by selling an exclusive AT-AT Driver later the year this was released.
Playability
The Imperial AT-AT Walker is cool and has good playability. First, it has a great sense of balance. With the four legs that are hinged at the knees, this toy is fun to play with and it stays balanced remarkably well.
The Imperial AT-AT Walker's legs have three joints best analogized as the groin socket, knee, and ankle. The casting of the Hasbro Imperial AT-AT Walker captures well the actual structure of the legs, though they lack the foot side support.
The other big point of articulation is the head. To enhance the playability, there is a handle that is inside the main hull, which allows one to manipulate the head without actually moving the head itself. This “joystick” function is somewhat intrusive, but does offer some limited cool play.
The ability to open the side door of the AT-AT and put a few figures inside adds some play benefit to the Imperial AT-AT Walker toy.
Collectibility
The Imperial AT-AT Walker was first introduced as part of the original Kenner Star Wars toy line in the 1980s. It is a similar sculpt that was used for the Power Of The Force AT-AT, though the head certainly seems less blockish. These AT-ATs were produced in adequate numbers and held decent value . . .until the new toy line released the resculpt of AT-AT toy. Now, it can be found at quite a value. However, because the legs and underside – all the hard plastic elements – discolor to a yellowish tinge to the gray they are supposed to be, this toy may be tougher to want to pick up in the secondary market now. The toy will discolor over time, which is unfortunate because otherwise it could be an inexpensive supplement to the current toys!
Overview
The Imperial AT-AT Walker is a good toy, but time has not been kind to it. Now, it is more average than exceptional, though it can be an inexpensive way to satisfy a young person’s desire for an AT-AT toy!
For other AT-AT reviews, please check out my takes on:
2006 AT-AT Ornament
Action Fleet Remote Control Imperial AT-AT
Titanium Die-Cast AT-AT
5/10
For other Star Wars toy reviews, please visit my Toy Review Index Page for an organized listing!
© 2013 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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